The sonar array system includes a receive array of hydrophones and a transmit array of acoustic projectors disposed on a common axis. The sonar array system can be coupled to a ship and deployed and recovered from a single winch and through a single ship hull penetrator. When towed through water by the ship, the sonar array system provides a substantially horizontal transmit/receive array.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A sonar array, comprising: a transmit array having one or more acoustic projectors, wherein the one or more acoustic projectors are disposed along a transmit array axis; and a receive array coupled to said transmit array, said receive array having one or more hydrophones disposed along a receive array axis, the receive array axis and the transmit array axis having a common axis, and wherein said receive array and said transmit array are adapted to be deployed from and recovered by a single winching coupled to a ship.
2. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein the transmit array axis and the receive array axis are substantially horizontal.
3. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein the single winching apparatus has a drum hub diameter less than or equal to fifty centimeters.
4. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein the single winching apparatus has a drum hub diameter less than or equal to thirty-eight centimeters.
5. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein said receive array and said transmit array are adapted to be deployed and recovered through a single ship hull penetrator.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the single ship hull penetrator has a smallest diameter less than or equal to twenty centimeters.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the single ship hull penetrator has a smallest diameter less than or equal to 15.24 centimeters.
8. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein said receive array and said transmit array are adapted to be deployed and recovered over the gunwale of a ship.
9. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more acoustic projectors is adapted to generate sound having a sound pressure level of at least 205 dB re 1 Pa at 1 meter, having a transmit beampattern that is essentially omnidirectional.
10. The sonar array of claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the one or more acoustic projectors is adapted to generate sound in the frequency range of 300 Hz to 4 kHz.
11. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein the one or more acoustic projectors and the one or more hydrophones are interspersed to form a line array adapted to both transmit and receive sound.
12. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein the transmit array is adapted to transmit sound to an object to generate an echo from the object and the receive array is adapted to receive the echo in order to detect the object.
13. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more acoustic projectors includes a slotted cylinder transducer.
14. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein said transmit array has a largest diameter less than or equal to 20.32 centimeters.
15. The sonar array of claim 14 , wherein said receive array has a diameter less than or equal to the largest diameter of said transmit array.
16. The sonar array of claim 14 , wherein said receive array has a diameter less than or equal to half of the largest diameter of said transmit array.
17. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein said transmit array has a largest diameter less than or equal to 15.24 centimeters.
18. The sonar array of claim 17 , wherein said receive array has a diameter less than or equal to the largest diameter of said transmit array.
19. The sonar array of claim 17 , wherein said receive array has a diameter less than or equal to half of the largest diameter of said transmit array.
20. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein the one or more acoustic projectors are modular such that they can be added to and alternatively removed from the transmit array to provide an expandable transmit array.
21. The sonar array of claim 20 , wherein the transmit array has a sound pressure level proportional to the number of acoustic projectors.
22. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein said transmit array is adapted to transmit sound in the frequency range of 300 Hz to 4 kHz.
23. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein said transmit array is capable of providing at least one steerable acoustic transmit beam.
24. The sonar array of claim 1 , wherein said receive array is capable of providing at least one steerable acoustic receive beam.
25. A method for detecting underwater objects, comprising: deploying a sonar array from a single winching apparatus coupled to a ship, the sonar array including a transmit array having one or more acoustic projectors, wherein the one or more acoustic projectors are disposed along a transmit array axis, a receive array coupled to said transmit array, said receive array having one or more hydrophones disposed along a receive array axis, the receive array axis and the transmit array axis having a common axis; and recovering the sonar array with the single winching apparatus.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the transmit array axis and the receive array axis are substantially horizontal.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the single winching apparatus has a drum hub diameter less than or equal to fifty centimeters.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the single winching apparatus has a drum hub diameter less than or equal to thirty-eight centimeters.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the deploying and recovering each comprise: passing the sonar array through a ship hull penetrator having a smallest diameter less than or equal to twenty centimeters.
30. The method of claim 25 , wherein the deploying and recovering each comprise: passing the sonar array through a ship hull penetrator having a smallest diameter less than or equal to 15.24 centimeters.
31. The method of claim 25 , wherein the deploying and recovering each comprise: passing the sonar array over the gunwale of a ship.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 21, 2003
January 27, 2004
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